Magnetic device for removing litter



Aug. 2, 1960 E. W; STITT MAGNETIC DEVICE FOR REMOVING LITTER Filed Dec. 23, 1957 grwwwkw United States Patent I 2,947,563 MAGNETIC DEVICE FOR REMOVING LITTER Edward W. Stitt, Mercer County, NJ. (2771Brunswick Pike, Trenton, NJ.)

Filed Dec. 23, 1957,, Ser. No. 704,570 2 Claims. ((1294-65) This invention relates to improvements in devices for removing or lifting litter, and in particular to such devices peculiarly adapted'to the removal of ferrous metallic particles or objects from surfaces or'fluids, etc. where their presence is undesirable.

Devices having the same general purpose, but of different and apparently more expensive construction, are well known, as exemplified by the devices shown in United States Patents Nos. 1,630,987 to Turner; 2,056,906 to Parkhill; and 2,426,795 to Sjostrom. While the previous devices, asillustrated by the above mentioned prior art, may be efficacious for their intended purpose, it is a primary object of my invention to provide a device having the same general purposev but of simplified andmore inexpensive construction, U

Itis also a general object of my invention to provide a noveland inexpensive device for, the removal of particles affected by magnetic fields from areas, zones, or fluids, etc., where their presenceis not desired.

1 A more particular object of my' invention is the provision of a magnetic device for removing .ferrous. objects such as needles, pins, hairpins, bobby pins or the like from the floor without requiring bending or stooping from a standing position, by the operator.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds, in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the magnetic element and its mounting, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lower end of the embodiment of Figure l, but with a flexible removable cover applied over the magnetic element.

Referring to the drawings, is a handle having a hook 11 at its upper end, and its lower end secured to a cylindrical magnetic head and housing designated generally by the reference number 12.

The magnetic head and housing 12 comprises, in the illustrated embodiment, a ceramic permanent magnetic element 13 having an axial bore 14, and a generally cup shaped protective housing 15 which closely embraces the top and cylindrical outer wall of the magnetic element 13, but leaves the bottom surface of the magnetic element 13 uncovered and exposed.

The ceramic permanent magnetic element 13 is preferably a sintered ceramic magnetic material of a type similar to Indox, a commercial ceramic magnetic material which is hard, brittle, and much lighter in weight than permanent magnets made of magnetic metallic alloys. The basic ingredients of Indox are barium carbonate and iron oxide, both of which are readily available. It should be understood that any suitable permanent magnetic material may be used for the magnetic element 13, but this inventor has found that the above mentioned sintered ceramic magnetic material Indox is particulari 2 ly suitable for the magnetic element inthis invention. A technical description of this material is given in the Indiana Permanent Magnet Manual Number 5," entitled Permanent Magnet Materials and Their Selection," by the Indiana Steel Products Company, of Valparaiso, Indiana.

One of the features of my invention is the utilization of the cup shaped protective housing 15 which encloses all but the bottom surface of the ceramic magnetic element 13 to protect the magnetic element against mechanical shocks and consequent breakage.

While the cup shaped housing may be of any suitable protective material, I prefer to make it (the protective housing 14), of ferrous sheet metal, to thereby contain,

the magnetic field ofthe magnetic element 13 to the uncovered surface thereof. Also, to further protect the magnetic element 13 against shock I prefer that the peripheral side walls of the protective cup, shaped housing 15 be slightly spaced from the peripheral side wall of the magnetic element 13 in order to provide space for shock absorbing devices. While such shock absorbing devices may be of various forms I have found that very adequate shock absorbing protection is afforded by turning the lower.

or surface of the lip 16 snugly engages the lower and outer portion of the sintered ceramic magneticelement 13, and this lower end of the housing 15 will absorb a considerable shock without transmitting it to an amount that will fracturefor otherwise damage the ceramic element 13..

The depth of spect to the surface 17 by the bottom portion of the housing 15 which is turned up to form the protective lip 16. Thus, even if the device is dropped upon a hard surface such as a floor, with the open end of the cupshaped housing 15 downward, the bottom portion 18 will prevent the ceramic magnetic element 13 from striking tllie lliiard surface, and thus protects it from damage from s cc The magnetic element 13 is retained within the housing 15 not only by the resilient force fit of the protective lip 16 but also by a screw 19 which passes through a central opening in the housing 15 and is threaded into the lower end of the handle 10.

In the illustrated embodiment the head of the screw 19 is smaller than the diameter of the axial bore 13 in the magnetic element 13, and a conical washer 22 having an outer diameter larger than the bore 14 and a central hole engaged by the head of the screw 19 assures clamp ing of the magnetic element 13 and the housing 15 against the bottom of the handle 10.

The handle 10 may be solid or a tubular cylindrical tube as shown, of any suitable material such as aluminum or the like, and terminating at its upper end in the hook 11, by which the device may be hung up out of the way when not being used. If the handle 10 is tubular, its upper end, or the portion at the free end of the hook may be closed by a cup shaped closure 23.

The length of the handle 10 is such that when a person holds it at its upper end, at the hook 11, the magnetic head and housing 12 will contact the door upon which the person is standing, so that the person may, without bending or stooping, place the magnetic head and housing over or adjacent any object such as a tack, pin, or hairpin, etc., to remove that object from the floor.

The magnetic element 13 will of course pick up a large number of small magnetically attracted objects,

the housing 15 is such that when the magnetic head and housingl2 is resting upon a planar. surface, indicated, at 17 in Figure 3, the ceramic magnetic, element 13. is supported in a spaced relationshipwith rewhich can be removed'from the magnetic element 13 by the operator at any time.

The magnetic attraction by which the magnetic element 13 holds such objects is quite large, and Figure 4 shows a devicein the nature of a removable and replaceable flexible plastic cover 24, enclosing the magnetic head and housing 12 and retained thereon by an elastic band 25"which is sewn or otherwise suitably contained within the periphery of the cover 24. Such plastic covers are well known commercially as plastic bowl or dish covers.

When a number of pins, tacks or the like have been picked up by the attraction of the magnetic head and housing12 they are easily removed by slipping the plastic cover 24 from the head and housing 12, whereupon they will drop 01f of the cover 24 since the magnetic field of the magnetic element 13-has been removed. The cover 24 is then replaced; The length of time required to remove a collection of tacks, pins, etc., from the head and housing 12 by removing the plastic cover 24 is only a fraction of the time required to remove them if the plastic cover 24 is not used.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The illustrated embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A device for collecting articles attracted by a magnetic field, comprising a three-dimensional sintered ceramic permanent magnetic element having at least one substantially planar surface, a protective housing of ferrous metal enclosing substantially all of said magnetic element except said planar surface and protruding a short distance beyond said planar surface whereby said planar surface is recessed within said housing, a shock absorbing device between saidprotective housing and said magnetic element, a handle means secured to and protruding from said magnetic element protective housing in a direction away from said planar surface of said magnetic element, a removable flexible non-magnetic cover over at least the said planar surface of said magnetic element, and resilient means for removably retaining said cover oversaid surface.

2. A device for collecting articles attracted by a mag netic field, comprising a three dimensional sintered ceramic permanent magnetic element having at least one substantially planar surface perpendicular to its axis, a protective cup-shaped housing of ferrous metal enclosing substantially all of said magnetic element except said planar surface and protruding a short distance beyond said planar surface whereby said planar surface is recessed within said housing, a shock absorbing device between said protective housing and said magnetic elementcornprising a peripheral inwardly directed lip on said housing adjoining said planar surface and terminating in a-portion extending toward the base of said housing, said portion being of such size-as to resiliently embrace the" cylindrical surface of said magnetic element, and a handle secured to and protruding from said magnetic element protective housing in a direction away from said planar surface of said magnetic element.

References Cited'in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,390,339 'Ullmanet al. Dec. 4, 1945 2,405,655 Kehoe Aug. 13, 1946 2,417,762 Koller Mar. 18, 1947 2,529,440 Willis Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 858,230 Germany Dec. 4, 1952 714,254 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1954 

